In a thrilling semifinal match held in Malaga, Spain, Italy secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Poland to advance to the Billie Jean King Cup final for the second consecutive year. The match, which stretched into the early hours of Tuesday, saw Italian Olympic gold medalists Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini overcome Poland’s Iga Swiatek and Katarzyna Kawa in a nail-biting doubles rubber.
The day began with Lucia Bronzetti giving Italy an early lead by defeating Magda Linette 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the opening singles match. However, the momentum shifted when Iga Swiatek, ranked world number two, staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Jasmine Paolini 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the second singles match.
The deciding doubles match was a true test of endurance and skill. Paolini and Errani, despite facing a 5-1 deficit in the second set, rallied back to win six consecutive games and clinch the set 7-5. The Italians saved three set points in the first set and showed incredible resilience to secure a 7-5, 7-5 victory.
Reflecting on the intense match, Paolini said, “It was tough, the intensity was insane, I was so tired but I had to give it all to my team and my country. I was sad after losing to Iga in singles but I went to the locker room and tried to be positive because I knew my teammates needed me.”
Swiatek, who played her first Billie Jean King Cup doubles match since 2019, acknowledged the challenge, saying, “It was not easy, it was a really long day, I didn’t start the doubles that well… but then I found the way, I think we played a really good match.”
With this victory, Italy will face either Britain or Slovakia in the final on Wednesday. The Italians are determined to go one step further this time after finishing as runners-up to Canada last year.
The Billie Jean King Cup final promises to be an exciting match, showcasing the best of women’s tennis and the incredible determination of both teams. Italy’s journey to the final is a testament to their resilience and teamwork, and fans are eagerly awaiting the final showdown.
Jasmine Paolini in 2024
At the moment ranked no.4 (career-high), Paolini played her last match on the 18th
of November when she lost to world no.2 Iga Swiatek 3-6 6-4 6-4 in the Rubber 2 in (draw).This year the Italian has achieved an overall 41-21 match record. Jasmine clinched 1 title in Dubai. Paolini reached the final at the French Open and Wimbledon.
Lucia Bronzetti in 2024
Ranked world no.78, Bronzetti played her last match on the 18th of November when she defeated world no.38 Magda Linette 6-4 7-6(3) in the Rubber 1 in (draw).
Until now, during this year the Italian achieved an overall 30-34 record. Bronzetti conquered 1 title in the Contrexeville.
Jasmine Paolini and Lucia Bronzetti clashed against each other 3 times. The head to head is 2-1 for Paolini.
Sara Errani in 2024
Now ranked no.104, Errani played her last match on the 24th of October when she was defeated by world no.203 Kristina Mladenovic 6-4 7-6(5) in the 2nd round of the W100 Les Franqueses Del Valles (draw).
This season Errani has a 29-22 match record. Sara Errani’s best result of the current season was reaching the semifinal in Bogota and the Gaiba.